Fresh Pasta with Lemon Sauce

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Tamineha Poe for this true food funny:

The following story is completely true and happened to my friend this
past weekend. Susan was shopping at a local Macy's Department Store
for a wedding gift. The bride's registry showed that all but two of
her desired gifts had already been purchased. The list showed a large
All-Clad frying pan for $112 and a bath towel for $12.99. The frying
pan was too expensive for Susan to give, but the towels didn't seem to
be enough. She decided on a set of two small All-Clad pots with a
price tag of $36, quite a bargain. The Macy's employee at the
register refused to sell them to Susan, stating that they were a
purchase-with-purchase special. Susan would have to purchase $500
worth of All-Clad pans in order to get the special $36 price. Susan,
not one to give up easily, took the pans to the linen department
register to try again. A young man behind the counter gladly scanned
the bar code and said, "Two cents, please." Susan stared at him in
disbelief and showed him the printed price tag of $36. He showed her
the cash register readout clearly stating two cents for the sale. She
opened her change purse and handed him two pennies. She's the
happiest customer Macy's ever had.

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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Several readers have asked about homemade pasta recently, and I
thought the time had come to republish some of the recipes I have done
in the past for the benefit of recent subscribers and those of us who
need an occasional reminder. Here is the lineup for "Pasta Redux":

Monday's Entree
Fresh Pasta with Lemon Sauce

Tuesday's Entree
Egg Noodles

Wednesday's Entree
Dried Pasta with Amatrice Sauce

Thursday's Entree
Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Sauce

Friday's Entree
Classic Ravioli

The following recipe requires a pasta machine for kneading, rolling,
and cutting the pasta. They can be bought for about $40 in any
gourmet shop or department store, and the investment will return a
lifetime of fresh pasta. Please insist on the type with rollers, as
the extruder types don't knead the dough and produce an inferior
product. Amazon.com has a machine identical tot he one I have been
using for about 20 years at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000DJUZ9/worldwidrecipes

Basic Recipe for Fresh Pasta

2 1/2 cups (625 ml) all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
2 tsp (10 ml) olive oil

Place the flour in a large mixing bowl or on a flat work surface and
form a well in the center. Beat the eggs and oil together and pour
into the well. Using a fork, begin mixing the flour and egg mixture
in the center of the well, gradually working towards the outside of
the mound of flour as the ingredients are combined. When the mixture
becomes too stiff to work with the fork, begin incorporating the
ingredients with your hands until a ball of dough is formed. The
dough should be firm enough to handle and not sticky. Adjust the
consistency with additional flour or a few drops of water if
necessary. Alternately, the ingredients may be combined in an
electric food processor and processed until a ball is formed. Knead
the dough by running it through the pasta machine set on its widest
setting six or seven times, folding the dough in thirds after each
pass and dusting lightly with flour if the dough becomes sticky.
After kneading the dough should be firm and have the texture of smooth
leather. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30
minutes to 3 hours.

To make noodles, cut the dough into 6 pieces and roll through the
pasta machine set on the widest setting several more times, folding in
thirds and dusting lightly with flour if needed to prevent sticking,
then begin decreasing the width by one notch with each successive pass
through the machine until the dough has reached the desired thickness.
Most noodles require the thinnest setting, but thicker noodles such as
spaghetti and pappardelle require only the next-to-last setting on the
machine. Let the dough dry for about 15 minutes and then pass through
the cutting mechanism on your machine, or cut by hand. The cut
noodles may be cooked immediately, or may be frozen or dried and
stored for several weeks in an airtight container. To dry, roll the
noodles gently into small "nests" or simply allow to dry flat.

To cook, boil at least 4 quarts (4 L) of salted water for this recipe.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir gently. Fresh pasta, even
when dried, cooks much faster than commercial dried pasta. Depending
on the thickness of the noodles, the pasta will be done in as little
as 5 seconds, and in no case should it take longer than 1 minute to
cook after the water has returned to the boil. Test the pasta
frequently and drain it in a large colander as soon as it is tender
but still firm. Makes about 1 lb (500 g) to serve 4 to 6.

This pasta recipe has become a standard in my house. The sauce takes
less time to make than the water does to boil, and is a refreshing
change from the standard tomato based sauces. Although the recipe
says the caviar is optional, please do not omit it. I usually use the
inexpensive lumpfish caviar available in any supermarket, and for a
few extra cents per plate I feel like I'm indulging myself.

Fettuccine with Lemon Sauce

4 Tbs butter
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp grated lime zest
1 cup beef broth or bouillon
4 to 6 tsp caviar (optional)
Fettuccine, linguini, or angel hair pasta to serve 4 to 6

In a sauce pan or skillet large enough to hold the pasta when it is
done, combine the butter, cream, and beef broth or bouillon and simmer
over medium heat until reduced by about half. Add the lemon juice,
lemon and lime zest and set aside. Cook the pasta according to the
package directions. When cooked and still al dente (firm to the
tooth) drain it and add it to the pan containing the sauce. Toss over
medium heat for 20 to 30 seconds, until most of the sauce is absorbed.
I like to form "nests" of the pasta using a kitchen serving spoon and
fork, twirling the noodles into a mound, and sliding them off the
spoon onto the plate. Place a teaspoon of the optional caviar in the
center. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Mon Dec 13 08:49:42 2004